DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow is drawing up the bill for a war that has already been described as a "war of aggression" by some American lawmakers themselves, between an abyssal budgetary cost and a political fracture in Washington.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
$38.1 billion spent as of August 1, according to the CBO, with an additional $2 to $3 billion per month if the conflict continues
- 02
The US has depleted between half and two-thirds of its antimissile interceptors since June 2025, with replenishment estimated to take at least five years
- 03
Representative Thomas Massie has filed an impeachment procedure against Pete Hegseth, accusing him of waging a war of aggression against Iran
ANALYSIS
Moscow, Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Sputnik and TASS are reporting the figures from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the non-partisan body of the US Congress: the war waged by Washington against Iran has cost $38.1 billion as of August 1, with an additional monthly bill of $2 to $3 billion if hostilities continue. Sputnik highlights that "the largest expenditure was on ammunition": $21.7 billion to replace the armament already fired, including $13.1 billion in anti-missile interceptors used against Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. According to the CBO cited by Sputnik, the United States has depleted "between half and two-thirds" of their stock of interceptors since June 2025, a replenishment that would take "at least five years".
A previous tally, that of the Comptroller's office, had already estimated the cost of the operation at $33.4 billion as of June 29, with $22.3 billion for the ammunition spent and $3.7 billion in material losses, according to a Pentagon report consulted by Sputnik. TASS recalls that Washington and Israel opened hostilities on February 28, that a ceasefire memorandum signed in June -- including the Lebanese front -- was broken on the night of July 8, the United States accusing Tehran of violating the terms related to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 25% of the world's oil trade and 20% of liquefied natural gas pass. The agency notes that the US administration has since prioritized the path of sanctions over the use of force.
The Russian press also highlights the open fracture in Washington: Republican Thomas Massie has filed an impeachment procedure against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of having abused his powers in this "war of aggression" against Iran and in other operations he qualifies as illegal, including the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro. The resolution could force a vote in the House.
Sputnik finally notes that the economic backlash is directly affecting Americans: the rise in oil, gasoline, and diesel prices is fueling inflation, while the material losses on the Iranian side -- including a $500 million THAAD radar, planes, and drones -- bring the cost of the fighting on the ground to $1.9 billion.
SOURCES (2)
- SputnikMEDIUM
